Underdogs is the Way it Should Be

One of the reasons I feel in love with the Mets all those years ago was because plain and simple, they were not the Yankees. In the 90s all the Yanks did was win and for a young kid that was just no fun. There was no struggle, just assumed victory; pinstripes guaranteed glory. I wanted to suffer with my team. I wanted every win to mean something special. Not just another notch on the ol' belt.

Then I discovered the Mets. I did not know anything about them but they were New York's underdogs so I was curious. I watched as Todd Hundley launched bombs in '96 and as the Mets just missed the playoffs in '97. It stung but I realized I was starting to fall for the lovable losers. Then they brought in Piazza and the tide began to change. The Mets were a force. The playoffs became a regular and soon a World Series appearance.

Then the team started to really change. With their recent success the Mets signed bigger and bigger free agents trying to keep the good times rolling. They began to spend with the best of them and winning was expected. The underdog image was fading. They were becoming a shell of the team I fell in love with. Heck I was changing as a fan. Each win was less and less sweet. Every playoff appearance was less and less a surprise.

Which brings us to 2009. The Mets have one of the highest payrolls in baseball and it is a tragedy if they miss the playoffs. Every year you can legitimately think World Series. They have some of the biggest stars in the game in Reyes, Wright, Beltran, Delgado, K-Rod and Santanna. We watch and expect not watch and hope.

With some help from the injury-bug, however, we have a little different team this go around. Reyes, Beltran, Delgado, Maine. Those big salary stars are not trudging out everyday. Rather it is a cast of misfits that represent New York day in and day out. The Omar Santoses of the league. The roster is a patchwork of journeymen and unproven players. Not multi-million dollar bats and arms. So now the cards are stacked against this Mets team and it feels like it used too.

This team is no longer expected to win which means everytime that they do it is that much sweeter. Every late game victory reminds us more and more of why we becames Met fans in the first place. If this group can come together and play real baseball they can claim a spot in all Mets' fans hearts. Their struggle becomes our passion.

I will not deny for a second that the Mets are a better team with those stars back in the lineup but it just seems right as a Mets fan to have a group of underdogs trotting onto the field again.